Coke oven apparatus



Aug. 1933- L. s. HERRMANN, JR v 1,920,949

COKE OVEN APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR.

Aug. 1, 1933- L. s. HERRMANN, JR

COKE OVEN APPARATUS 3 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1930 Aug. 1, 1933- L.s. HERRMANN, JR

COKE OVEN APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR.lore/72' =5. fler/"mo/rrg z B Y W G? A TORN rf Patented Aug. 1, 1933 I1,920,949 COKE OVEN APPARATUS Lorenz S. Hcrrmann, .l'rn, Mount LebanonTownship, Allegheny County, Pa, assignor to The Keppers Company ofDelaware, a; Corporation of Delaware Application January 28,1930. SerialNo. 423,974

I libiaims. (or. 137-144) My invention relates to coke-oven apparatusand particularly to reversing boxes for selective- 1y controlling thesupply of combustible media to, and the flow of waste gases from, cokingretort ovens.

a In the operation of coke-oven batteries, it is desirable to simplifythe apparatus. for controlling the supply of fuel gas, such as producergas, and air for heating the ovens of the battery and for controllingthe flow of waste gases from the ovens 'to the stack. In the case ofcomplicated. systems for controlling the'reversing boxes for controllingthe flow of the several gases, it is possible that breakage of a portionof the controlling mechanism may cause an explosive mixture either inthe reversing boxes or in the regenerators which will either burnthereinor' may cause an explosion with resultant damage to the structure of thebattery. In accordance with the present invention, I have provideda'series of reversing boxes, certain of which operate as. air boxes inone direction of flow or as'waste gas boxes when the flow of gases isreversed. Certain other reversing boxesare arranged to supply eitherproducer gasor air to the battery or to convey waste gases when the flowis reversed.- 1 I By means of a relatively simple mechanism, I

am enabled to arrange the various boxes in a system wherein all oftheboxes may be caused to reverse the how of gases therethrough by theactuation of their controlling levers in the same direction by means'ofasingle cable or controlling device.

The levers are connected to the valves controlled thereby'by means ofrelatively simple link-and-lever mechanisms, each of which permits onevalve to close and positively opens anl i mechanisms permittheseoperauons 1n reversi- Figure 1 is a view in transverse vertical sectionof a portion of a coke-oven battery embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is aView, partially in section and partial- 5 ly in side elevation, of oneform of reversing box constructed in accordance with my invention,associatedparts of a coke-oven'structure being shown in verticalsection; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the clutch mechanism andcertainassociated parts;

other valve. Lost-motion connections in these Fig. 1 is a similar viewofanother form of reversing box;

Fig. 5 is a View, partially in plan and partially in horizontal section,of certain reversing boxes of a series in operative relation to acoke-oven 6 battery; and

Fig. ,6 is a view, partiallyin end elevation and partially in verticalsection, of the apparatus of Fig. 5, parts being broken away.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, a coke-oven battery 1, only a portionof which is shown, comprises' a foundation 2, a side wall 3 and a top 4that is provided with the usual charging holes '5 extending into cokingchambers 6, only one of which appears in the drawings. Horizontalbrickwork '7 separates the coking chambers 6 from the regenerators 8,one of which appears in the drawings, and which are provided with soleilues 9.

Coke-oven gas is supplied to the battery by means of a main 11 andproducer gas is supplied through a larger main 12. 'A reversing box 13,which is connected to the sole flue 9 through the side wall 3, isconnected to theproducer gas hollow casting 20 having a producer gasvalve 21" for controlling the connection of the reversing box to theproducer gas main 12. It is provided, also, with awaste-gas valve 22 forcontrolling the connection to the vertical duct 14.

An air damper 23 which is pivotally mounted r on the top of the casting20, is adapted to be operative when the box 13 is used as an air box, asin 'casecoke-ovcn gas is used as a fuel. When the reversing box 13 isused as agas box, the damper 23 is clamped in'its closed-position bymeans of a clamp 24, which-is best shownin Fig. 5. a I i The valves 21and 22 are operated by means of a mechanism comprising an operatinglever 25 that is pivotally mounted on a bracket 26. As best shown in thereversing'box 13 on the extreme right in Figs. 5 and 6, the lever 25 hasa lost-motion connection to a link 27 that is pivotally connected toarocker' arm .28 that operates a rock shaft 29. A quadrant 30 that iscarried by the other end of the shaft 29 is connected 110 box, Figs. 2and 6, the waste-gas valve 22 is in its uppermost or open position. I

The lever 25 is provided with an extension 32 that has a pivotallost-motion connection to a link 33 and the latter is similarlypivotally connectedto anar'm 34 that is mounted on a rock shaft'35. Whenthe reversing box 13 is arranged ,for operation as a gas box, the rockshaft 351sv connected to the gas valve 21 by means of a yoke 36connected to the shaft 35, a clutch pin 37;a

relatively long arm 38, a link 39, an arm '40and a rock shaft 41 whichcarries a quadrant 42. A" chain 43 connects the quadrant 4 2, to thevalve When the reversing box 13 operates as an air box, the shaft isconnected to the damper 23 by theclutch pin 37'which engages an arm 44.

As shown in Fig. 3, the clutch pin 37 is shiftable tothe'right, by meansofa' handle45, to connect the shaft 35 to the damper 23 or to the leftto connect the shaft 35 to the arm33 and thereby determine the operationof the box as an air box or a gas box, as the case may be. 'As arrangedin the drawings, the box 13 .is

' adapted to-operate as a gas box, the damper 23 being clamped initsclosed position and disconnected from the shaft 35.

A reversing box similar to the box 13 that has just been described isthe reversing box 47 that is located at the extreme left-hand portion ofFigs. 5 and 6. and-lever mechanisms for operating the several valves isarranged in what maybe termed .a

left-hand assembly with respect to theyarrangement of the reversing box13, which mayv be termed a right-hand assembly.

The various parts are-similar to those of the reversing 'box 13, exceptthat the operation of the lever 25 produces opposite effects. Forexample, it is noted that the producer gas valve 21 is open in the caseof reversing box 47, while the same valve is closed in reversing box 13,the lever 25 occupying the same position in each case.

Also, the waste-gas valves 22 of theresp'ective' boxes are in oppositepositions, that'of'reversing box 47 being closed and that of reversingbox'13 being open. Y ".3

Reference may now be had to Fig. .4, which an air box 51 is shown inenlarged detail.- The air box illustrated. in Fig. 4 corresponds to theairbox 51 adjacent the box 13 in Figs. 5 and 6. It comprises a hollowcasting 52. with no connec-f tion to the gas main 12. The lever 25 isconnected to the waste gasvalve 22 by'mechanism that is identical withthat described in connection with reversing box 13 and similar-numeralsare employed to designate the corresponding parts. The air dampers 23are operated by a mechanism that is similar to that of reversing box 13for operating the rock shaft 35. The latter is, however, replaced in thepresent case bya relativelyvshort shaft 53 that is connected to the ,airdamper 23 by an arm 44.

. An air box-54 that is adjacent to the air box 51 is similar to thelatter-exceptthat the operating mechanism therefor is transposed inorder that its air damper 23 may be open when the air damper of airbox5l' is closed and vice versa, the operating". levers 25 being insimilar positions.

The waste-gasvalves 22 of the pair of air boxes occupy oppositepositions. 7 The castings 55 and 56 for connecting the main Thearrangement or" thelink-' the battery. These castings areinterchangeable between the air boxes and the gas boxes and reduce thenumber of kinds of boxes required.

The operation of the system comprising air boxes and'gas boxes, atypical portion of which is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, will be readilyunderstood. A cable or rod 58, which extends along one side of thebattery and is actuated by the usual time-controlled reversingmechanism, is connected by pairs of clamps 59 spaced by a yoke 60 to allof the levers 25 of the various gas and air boxes.

It may be assumed that the battery to which the system is connected isin operation and that the boxes 47 and 54 are arranged to supply gas andair respectively as indicated by the legends G and A. It may be assumed,also, that the boxes 51 and 13 are conveying waste gases from theirrespective regenerators, as indicated by the legend WG. The severalvalves, including the air dampers, of the various boxes willoccupy thepositions in which they are shown.

When the rod 58 is actuated to the left to cor -13-and 47 or the airvalves of boxes 51 and 54.

begin to open.

The lost-motion connections permit the open air and waste-gas valves topartially close before the similarclosed valves begin to open. Beforethe closed positions of the previously open air and the waste-gas valvesare reached, however, the ends of the lost-motion connections arereached and the mechanism operatesto partially open the air and thewaste-gas valves for operation in the opposite direction order that thedraft through the battery is never completely closed at thereversingboxes. The closing movements of the former air and waste gasvalves are completed after the latter valves are slightly opened and thepartially opened valves are then actuated to their completely openpositions. In the case of the previously closed gas valves 21, they donot begin to open until a period of 3 or 4 seconds has elapsed aftertheclosure of the waste-gas valves 22 in the same reversing boxes 13,whereupon they open with a relatively quick movement.

The direction of flow in the battery and in the several reversing boxesis now reversed and the functions of the boxes are those indicated by,the respective legends in dotted lines thereon.

Upon the succeeding reversal, the positions of the several parts arereversed in the same manner as described in connection with the otherreversal and the parts again occupy the positions in which they areshown.

In case coke-oven gas is used as a fuel, all of ,the reversing boxeswill be used as air boxes, half engage the arms 44for connecting therock shafts 35 to the air dampers 23, the clamps 24 of the latter beingreleased. In this arrangement, the boxesv 4;? and 54will operatesimultaneously to admit air while the boxes 51 and 13 convey waste gasand,

upon reversal, the latter boxes both admit air while the other boxesconvey waste gas.

From the foregoing,'-it will be apparent that I have provided asimplearrangement whereby a single cable or rod may operate a series ofreversing boxes for controlling the flow of air and producer gas into acoke-oven battery and the flow of waste gases therefrom. The controllinglevers are positively connected to each of the valve mechanisms foractuating them to their open positions and the latter are permitted toclose by force of gravity. Among the advantages of my invention are thesimplicity and ruggedness of the parts which have the operatingcharacteristics necessary to operate the valves in propersequence.The-parts have definite relations and they may .be' readily as.- sembledin proper arrangement. Any error in assembly may be readily detected andeasily corrected. g

.The foregoing and other advantages will be apparent to those skilled inthe art of the construc shaft to the one or the other of said valves.

3. A valve mechanism for coke ovens comprising two passageways, twovalves for respectively controlling said passageways, a singleoscillatable lever',.a shaft connected v thereto, a member carried bysaid shaft, and means'comprising an adjustable pin carried by saidmemberfor connecting the latter to the one or the other of said valves.

4. A valve mechanism for coke ovens compris ing passageways for fuelgas, air and wastegases,

respectively, a single oscillatable lever, a shaft oscillatabletherewith, and means for connecting said lever to the valve for wastegases and for selectively connecting said shaft to the fuel gas valve orthe air valve. i

5. A valve mechanism'for coke ovens comprising two valves forrespectively controlling the flow of gaseous media through saidmechanism, and

' ing two valves for respectively controlling the flow of gaseous mediathroughsaid mechanism, one of said valves being closed while the otheris open,

and oscillatable means for reversing the positions of said valves, saidmeans comprising an operating lever, a quadrant connected to each ofsaid valves and a link-and-lever mechanism for connecting said lever toeach of said quadrants and for permitting lost motion between said leverand said quadrants. i

7. A valve mechanism for coke ovens comprising two valves forrespectively controlling the flow of gaseous media through saidmechanism, one of said valves being closed while the other is open, andoscillatable means for reversing the positions of said valves, saidmeans comprising an operating lever, a quadrant flexibly connected toeach of said valves to permit their closing by force of gravity, and alink-and-lever mechanism for providing alost-motiOn connection betweensaid lever and each of said quadrants whereby certain independentmovements of said valves are permitted. 9 Y 7 I 8. A valve mechanismcomprising a plurality of each of fuel gas valves, air valves and wastegas valves, certain of each of which valves are open while the othervalves are closed, means for controlling said valves to reverse theirpositions comprising 'a plurality of levers occupying similar positionsand each lever being connected toa plurality of valves, link-and-levermechanisms for connecting said levers to said valves and a single memberfor actuating all of said levers.

9 A valve mechanism comprising a plurality of each of fuel gas valves,air valves and waste gas valves, certain of each of which valves areopen while the other valves are closed, means for controlling saidvalves to reverse their positions comprising a plurality of leversoccupying similar positions and each lever having a lostmotionconnection comprising a link-and-lever mechanism to each of a plurality.of valves and a single member foractuating'all of said levers.

10. Valve mechanism comprising a plurality of reversing boxes for cokeovens said reversing boxes being arranged in a row, each of said boxeshaving a plurality of valves for controlling the direction of flow ofgaseous media therethrough,' certain of said valves being positioned forinflow of gaseous media while the other valves are simultaneouslyarranged for outflow thereof, a single operating lever for eachreversing box, link-andlever mechanisms for-connecting the levers to thevalves of the respective reversingboxes, and

boxes being arranged in a row, each of said boxes having a plurality ofvalves for controlling the direction of flow of gaseous mediatherethrough, certain of said valves being positioned for separate andsimultaneous inflow of fuel gas and air while theother valves arearranged for outflow of waste gases, a single operating lever for eachreversing box, link-and-lever mechanism for connecting the levers to thevalves of the respective reversing boxes, and a single member for.oscillating all of said operating levers to thereby simultaneouslyreverse the flow of gaseous media through all of said reversing boxes insaid row to cause those previously conducting fuel gas or air to conductWaste gases and those previously a conducting wastegases to conduct fuelgas or air.

LORENZ S. HERRMANN, JR.

